The North Sea Diet: Eating in Tune with Ancestral Wisdom

Why I Focus on Ancestral Eating and the North Sea Diet

For a while now, I’ve been reflecting on why I approach food the way I do—what some might call ancestral eating or traditional cuisine. Rather than taking a global approach to food, I focus on the diets of my ancestors. It started as a hunch, but when I looked into it further, I found that it aligns with a concept known as evolutionary mismatch theory.

The Science Behind Traditional Eating

Evolutionary mismatch theory suggests that while humans and their diets have changed drastically due to globalization, our genetics haven’t had time to catch up. Essentially, our bodies are still adapted to the diets of our ancestors, even though we now have access to foods from all over the world.

Our bodies evolved to thrive on specific diets, yet modern eating habits often stray far from what our genetics are optimized for. This disconnect may contribute to health issues, making it worth exploring how eating more traditionally could be beneficial.

A Personal Approach to Traditional Eating

My ancestry includes Irish, English, French, and German roots, while my husband’s background includes Irish, Swiss, Norwegian, and German heritage. Because of this, I focus on cooking meals from these European regions as much as possible. While we don’t go as far back as the Paleolithic era, we do try to stick to foods our ancestors would have eaten just a few generations ago. And after years of following this approach, it has worked really well for our family.

Of course, this isn’t a perfect theory. Someone with a mixed ancestry from vastly different regions may need to experiment to find what works best. But I strongly believe there’s value in following a traditional diet—one rooted in the foods your great-grandparents ate.

The Convenience of Modern Food—At What Cost?

Today, we live in a world where you can eat avocados in January and find fresh raspberries year-round, regardless of where you live. While convenient, I believe this way of eating may have unintended consequences that we don’t fully understand yet.

The North Sea Diet: A Traditional Alternative

While I tend to avoid labeling diets, if I had to describe the way we eat, I’d call it the North Sea Diet. It’s similar to the Mediterranean diet in that it’s built around a major waterway and its surrounding food cultures. However, the North Sea Diet tends to be richer, with a higher fat content and less refined carbohydrates.

Some staples of this way of eating include:

• Grains: Rye flour, oats, and other minimally processed grains
• Root Vegetables: Potatoes, turnips, and other hearty vegetables
• Seafood: Mackerel, herring, and wild-caught fish (when accessible)
• Wild and Pastured Meats: Venison, elk, reindeer, and grass-fed beef
• Dairy and Eggs: A key source of healthy fats and proteins
• Cold-Hardy Fruits: Berries, apples, and pears

This approach isn’t revolutionary, but it simplifies food choices and removes the pressure of chasing superfoods and diet trends. Instead, it allows for a more sustainable, time-tested way of eating.

Finding Balance with Global Flavors

This doesn’t mean I avoid all global ingredients—spices, for example, are a wonderful gift to cooking. When we go into the city, we take the opportunity to explore different cuisines and expose our kids to a variety of flavors. But at home, I prioritize a repeatable and familiar cuisine, ensuring that my family has a strong food identity and a pantry that stays manageable.

A Practical Benefit: Less Waste, Easier Meal Planning

Following a more traditional diet also simplifies meal planning. Instead of accumulating random ingredients that only get used once, we stick to a core set of ingredients that we go through regularly. This reduces waste and keeps our pantry organized.

Final Thoughts

This approach to eating has been incredibly freeing. It helps us stay grounded in our food traditions without getting caught up in ever-changing diet trends.

If this idea resonates with you, let me know! You can also check out our meal planning resources, which feature recipes inspired by traditional North Sea cuisine, to try it out for yourself.